Muscle and vascular system hand exercising instrument



March 1, 1960 w. R. REICHEL MUSCLE AND VASCULAR SYSTEM HAND EXERCISING INSTRUMENT Filed July 12, 1957 Fig. 1

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ATTDRNEY MUSCLE AND VASCULAR SYSTEM HAND EXERCISING INSTRUMENT This invention concerns a hand-operated instrument for exercising the muscles and the vascular system, and which is suitable for overcoming disturbances to the blood circulation and damage to the, vascular system and muscles resulting therefrom, particularly in the hands, arms and also the collar bone.

The apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pair of interconnected plates arranged to be pressed towards one another against spring pressure, characterised in that the inter-connection between said plates constitutes a resilient joint, and that at least one compression spring is arranged between said plates.

Dumb-bells consisting, for instance, of two grips which are movably connected together and are pressed towards each other against the action of a spring have already been proposed. These known dumb-bells have the disadvantage, however, that, due to their weight they require considerable exertion during exercises, and/or they impede free circulation of the blood owing to the direct pressure exerted on the inner surface of the hands, particularly on the centre portion thereof. In the instrument proposed by the invention, however, no great exertion is required for exercise purposes, and any pressure on the palm of the hand impeding the circulation of the blood is avoided, so that the instrument stimulates the circulation of the blood without any impeding efiects, and strengthens the vascular system.

Preferably the plates of the instrument are generally plane, or substantially so, and may be formed by the parallel or diverging sides of a U-shaped or V-shaped sheet respectively, the apex of the sheet constituting a resilient joint. The compression spring or springs may be arranged to be interchangeable.

The gripping plates may, if desired, be of arcuate section, that is to say they may be slightly externally concave or convex, or they may have outwardly curved edges. In order to guard against squeezing of veins when the apparatus is held in the palm, the marginal portion of each plate may have a depression or recess in its centre region. The compression springs, which may be helical springs, may be interchangeable by the ends thereof being slipped on inwardly directed studs mounted on the insides of the plates. If several pressure springs are used, they are preferably arranged at various spaced intervals from the apex of the instrument.

By the removal of individual springs, or alternatively, by interchanging springs of diiferent strengths, the instrument can be adapted to the constitution of any in dividual and may even be used by weak persons. Owing to the above-described construction of the plates, no harmful pressure is exerted on the palm of the hand during exercise, and pinching of blood vessels is avoided.

The instrument may also be held in such manner as not ,to come into contact at all with the palm of the hand.

The fingers of one hand or both hands may act simultaneously or alternatively on one instrument.

The invention will be described further, by way of ex- United States Patent ample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one instrument constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figs. 2 and 3 are a plan view and a sectional elevation respectively of another embodiment of the invention, the section being taken on the line IIl-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows various methods of manipulating theinstruments illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention, and i Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a still further embodiment of the invention incorporating a stroke counter. r

e In the instrument shown in Fig. 1 two plane gripping plates 1 and 2 disposed at an acute angle relative to one another are formed by the sides of a sheet of plastic or synthetic resin material, bent in the form of a V. The apex 3 itself acts as a spring, but a further, helical, compression spring 4 is also provided between the two gripping plates. The ends of this spring 4 are slipped over studs '5 which are threadedly engaged in the gripping plates.

The instrument shown in Figs. 2 and 3 has three pressure springs 4'arranged between gripping plates 1 and 2, and the outer edges 6 and 7 of the latter are curved outwardly. By this means the hand instrument is prevented from slipping from the tips '8 and 9 of the fingers if it is held with the apex portion 3 directed outwardly of the hand as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. Alternatively the hand instrument may be held in the position shown in chain dotted lines in Fig. 4.

In both the embodiments described above, pressure on the inner surface of the hand is impossible, since only the fingers exert pressure on the gripping surfaces. OW-

ing to the resilience of the material forming the gripping plates, the individual fingers can exert pressures of varying strengths. Thus exercises suitable for the muscles of the hand and mm are easily performed and result in stimulation of the circulation without it being possible for any constriction to the circulation to be caused by the instrument.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, anupper gripping plate 1 and a separate lower gripping plate 2, which again are of synthetic resin material, are connected by a resilient apex portion 10 which is formed of a convexly curved steel strip. In the case of this instrument,

the marginal portion of one gripping plate 1 has a (le pression 11 in its centre region. This depression, which may alternatively be substituted by a suitable cut-out portion at the edge, offers the advantage that pinching of blood vessels is impossible even when the instrument is held in the palm of the hand by the edge of the plate 1. In such a case, only the relative ends of the edge of the plate can be supported on both balls of the hand.

in order to prevent harmful conduction of heat to the instrument from the hand holding it, the gripping plates preferably consist of materials of poor heat-conducting qualities, or at least have an external covering of such material. It has been found to be preferable to manufacture the exercising instrument from a resilient polymerized synthetic material.

Yet further feature of the invention, as shown in Fig. 6, envisages the provision of a conventional stroke counter 1'2 between the gripping plates 1 and 2, and secured, for example, to the gripping plate 2. This stroke counter 12 isactuated by a pivotal arm 13 bearing against and set into motion by the plate 1. -In this way it is possible for the person exercising to keep to a given prescribed exercise programme by reading the counter.

I claim: 7

l. A muscle and vascular system exercising device hold said plate-like portions spread at an acute angle sothat said plate-like portions form the legs and said curved portion forms the apex of a substantially V-shaped conformation, the edges of said plate-like portions opposite said ends being outwardly curved so as to form finger holdsand being free so that said plate-like portions maybe urged towards each other by pressure exerted thereon near said free edges, at least one stud projecting inwards from each plate-like portion, said studs being substantially opposite each other, and at least one compression spring detachably attached with its ends on said studs to add spring pressure to the resilient force of said curved portion opposing a movement of the plate-like portions towards each other and, when removed, reducing the total spring'pressure.

4 7 2 A device as in claim 1, said plate-like portions consisting of a non-metallic material and said connecting portion consisting of a curved strip of resilient metal having its longitudinal edges secured to said ends of said plate-like portions.

Reierences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

